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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · content · hide · charge · rush · mate · pitch · stem

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. charge — a price
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitch — completely
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. charge — in control
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. current — of water
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. current — electric
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. content — happy
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com